hezbollah is entrenched in the lebanese government. it hasn't changed as much as our focus has diminished. lebanon in a way has been since 2009 intoord nateed to the syrian issue. on syria we have come full circle going from engagement and pressure perhaps even greater pressure on asad than we had in 2008. and he is probably regretting the support for al qaeda and iraq which is coming back to bite him. when it comes to iran, you know, i was reading an article recently in preparation for a different speech about the iran negotiation. it was the president saying how the last offer we made meeting with a relatively response from the iranians. we were feeling optimistic. we to give them time and space while keeping all our option on the table. the article is from 2006, which tells you a little bit how the issue has or hasn't changed. the fact is that this is the issue which feels the most similar now to where it stood in 2008. there's more sanctions but iran's nuclear program expanded as well. the status quo may be deteriorating but looks